Chapter 4.3

As Aness recalled a memory from the past, she bit down hard on his tongue as it dug deeper into her mouth.

Suddenly bitten, Caron staggered backward, startled. He wiped his mouth and glared at her.

Still staring at her with unresolved desire, Caron looked at her intently. Aness, now fully alert, realized she could end up being toyed with and having her child taken away by this man. He was truly a petty and wicked person.

“Duke, you should focus on your engagement ceremony tomorrow. I sincerely wish you happiness with your beautiful bride.”

Aness lifted her skirt slightly to greet him, then quickly ran toward the servant’s quarters to avoid being caught.

Caron, dumbfounded, could only stare blankly at her retreating figure.

Back in her room, Aness climbed onto the bed and hugged little Ian, who was already asleep, tightly to her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart. She had provoked him in anger, but the moment she saw the Duke, she couldn’t stop her heart from trembling.

Of course, he was not her first love, but he was her first man. And, of all things, he was her very first, as she had never even dated before. That made it all the more significant.

No, perhaps he would be the first and last man in her life. She was determined now to live her life raising only Ian.

‘What on earth is he thinking? Tomorrow he’s getting engaged and then married, isn’t he? Wake up, Aness. To the Duke, you were just his first woman and nothing more. Who needs a man who pettily complains about losing his so-called purity? All I need is Ian. I’ll never let anyone take you away.’

Soon after, Aness fell asleep, tightly embracing her small, soft baby.

The Duke’s engagement ceremony was held with great pomp. As the Empire’s most powerful Duke, Caron Perschtmann, he drew all the most prestigious nobles to the event, making it shine.

Aness was so busy preparing for the event from dawn that she barely had a moment to breathe. Fortunately, today, the younger sister of her now close maid Mariel came to visit and agreed to watch Ian.

Watching the tables piled high with lavish food and the noisy gathering of nobles from behind, Aness’s heart began to sink. In that very moment, someone came to mind.

‘Father, if you weren’t imprisoned now, wouldn’t you be sneaking around at an event like this? You’d be bowing and scraping to high nobles, hoping for even a bit of charity.’

He wasn’t a father worthy of much respect, but at this moment, Aness pitied him. If only he had been born into a high family, he could have inherited a title without effort, succeeded, and lived comfortably.

‘But Father, what good is all that wealth and glory? Even in poverty, you could have been happy with Mother and your children. We were never unhappy.’

She didn’t pity her eldest sister, who became a secret mistress for love. What was wrong with seeking and longing for love? As long as you’re happy, that’s enough.

But her second sister Erika, she did pity. Erika had been brainwashed by their father, who wanted to cling to power, and had chosen a bad path.

‘And as for me…’

Though she had spent a night with the Duke and become pregnant, she was never ashamed. Even if society didn’t accept her, it didn’t matter.

She had never harmed anyone else, and as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. She would, of course, take responsibility for Ian for the rest of her life.

While she was lost in thought behind a tree in the garden, someone far away was quietly watching her.

Duke Caron Perschtmann, abandoning his fiancée Hariel, had been looking for someone since earlier. He watched dozens of busy maids with his eyes, but couldn’t spot her.

Then, finally, he found Aness hiding behind a tree, lost in thought, and his heart raced. Though she wore a shabby maid’s uniform and her brown hair was messy, to his eyes, she looked incredibly lovely.

‘How dare you become Joseph’s bride after taking my purity? And you gave birth to that bastard’s child? I’ll never forgive you. I’ll make sure you never leave my side for the rest of your life.’

Caron smirked bitterly and turned away.

Meanwhile, Hariel, daughter of Marquis Marieclaire, anxiously searched for the Duke, who had suddenly disappeared while greeting people. The engagement had only barely come together. It wasn’t she who had persuaded the Duke, who had vowed not to marry until thirty, but her father.

It was a political gain, and even the Emperor had intervened to make it happen, but the Duke’s heart seemed to be elsewhere.

‘That can’t be. The Duke has never shown interest in another woman. I must be his first!’

Hariel anxiously followed the Duke, and finally witnessed him gazing blankly at something, wearing a foolish smile. Feeling a strange suspicion, she quickly searched near the tree he had been staring at, but found no one.

That night, Hariel naturally expected the Duke to stay at the mansion, but as soon as the party ended, Caron immediately sent his fiancée away, using exhaustion as an excuse.

In fact, he had other intentions.

***

After a long, tiring day, Aness massaged her sore shoulders and returned to the servant’s quarters where her beloved baby Ian awaited.

Ian, now just over a year old, was taller than most children his age, chubby, and walked well. In short, he was astonishingly fast in his development.

“Oh, Ian! Did you have fun playing with your sister?”

Aness opened the door and smiled brightly at her baby, who was sitting by the window, fiddling with leaves he’d picked. No matter how tired she was, just seeing Ian made her happy and filled her heart.

The sight of his bright golden hair and jewel-like eyes worked like magic, wiping away the fatigue of the day.

Could there be any baby in the world more lovable than this?

She hugged her chubby, adorable baby tightly, savoring a moment of happiness. When the baby was in his mother’s arms, he coughed and then spoke.

“Mama, can’t… breathe.”

“…?”

Aness was shocked when her baby, who had only ever said “mama,” suddenly spoke like an adult. She quickly pulled him away and stared at him.

“Ian? Did you just… speak? What did you say?”

Ian only tilted his head and smiled sweetly. Confirming that her baby was fine, Aness sighed in relief and hugged him again.

In fact, people around her had questioned why she was lying about her baby’s age. Ian’s development was so advanced for just over a year old that it looked suspicious.

‘I hope you don’t take after your father, Ian. Just grow up pure and innocent.’

Beloved baby Ian played in his mother’s arms, giggling and tugging at her hair.

That day, after finishing his work at the Imperial Palace, Caron returned home and immediately began looking for someone. He summoned the head maid at once.

“Duke, did you call for me?”

Head maid Anna greeted the Duke respectfully, waiting for his orders with curiosity. In fact, the Duke left all household matters to her and rarely interfered. Instructions were usually given by the butler.

“I want to ask about the new maid, Aness.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“She has a baby, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Who decided to hire a maid with a baby without permission?”

“!”

At the Duke’s cold, interrogating tone, the head maid was so startled that she immediately froze.

“Bring that maid here right now. This isn’t something that can be overlooked.”

Since the Duke had never meddled in household affairs before, the head maid was so surprised and flustered that she didn’t know what to do.  

Now that he was getting married, all household matters would soon be handled by Lady Hariel of the Marquis Marieclaire, who would become the Madam. Yet it seemed the Duke had decided to intervene from now on.

“Yes, understood.”

The head maid had always pitied Aness and tried to help her in many ways. Now that the Duke was directly involved, Aness might be expelled. Poor thing. She might have to leave with her young baby.

A short while later, Aness made her way to the Duke’s office as instructed by the head maid. She felt extremely uneasy. She couldn’t even guess what that petty man would try to do next.